Mayor aims for Dec. 17 to propose new member for city council seat

Mayor Ed Malloy is looking for a community member to join the Fairfield City Council in Susan Silvers’ soon-to-be vacated at-large post.

Silvers announced her resignation Friday after serving five years on the city council. She was re-elected for her second term last year and isn’t up for re-election until 2015.

Silvers cited new work opportunities at Cambridge Investment Research Inc. where she is director of transition, business development, as her reason for resigning. She said she could no longer give both jobs the “110 percent” she felt they deserved.

While Malloy was sad to hear the news, he was supportive of her decision.

“I’m sorry to see her leaving the council, but I completely understand her reasons,” he said. “She has a tremendous opportunity to focus on her career development.”

Malloy said he will appoint the new member and will soon begin considering candidates for the role.

“I plan to make an appointment hopefully by first of the year,” he said.

Malloy has made three appointments when council members couldn’t finish serving their full term in the more than a decade he has served as mayor. However, Silvers’ remaining term presents the longest appointed position.

According to state law, in cases of city council vacancies the mayor may appoint a replacement with majority approval from the rest of the council. Malloy plans to select a candidate in time for the Dec. 17 city council meeting in order to seek the members’ approval.

The state requires the mayor to fill the role within 40 days of when the vacancy occurs. The option of a special election would only be pursued if more than 200 registered voters in Fairfield filed a petition requesting one.

Fairfield residents will have a chance to vote on whether or not to keep the appointed member in the 2013 general election, according to the Jefferson County Auditor’s office.

Malloy said he will work with Silvers to find a candidate he believes suitable for the job.

“We will put together a list of people potentially interested in service, and who we think would make a good representative of the whole city,” he said.

Malloy said he’s grateful to have worked with Silvers.

“Susan has been an exemplary councilmember,” he said. “We will miss her contributions.”